


Black’s Tale

by Dolorous_nq



Series: the many ways Regulus Black could have lived [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First War with Voldemort, Gen, Horcrux Hunting, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Near Death Experiences, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Regulus Black Lives, Regulus Black-centric, Second War with Voldemort, Triwizard Tournament, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22601731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolorous_nq/pseuds/Dolorous_nq
Summary: A desperate Kreacher goes to Sirius for help, knowing that only with an order from an older member from the House of Black can he break the orders of Master Regulus.
Relationships: Regulus Black & Albus Dumbledore, Regulus Black & Harry Potter, Regulus Black & Sirius Black
Series: the many ways Regulus Black could have lived [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875568
Comments: 18
Kudos: 321





	1. Chapter 1

Everything hurts. He was damp and shivering from the cold. The orb of light that had hovered above the small island was now obscured by the shadows that surrounded him; he could barely see anything in front of him, he he couldn't even see his hand as he tried to reach for the goblet. Kreacher was there to hand it to him with pleading and pitiful eyes.  
  
“Please drink, Master,” said the elf, almost sobbing, “only a few cups are left, Kreacher swears.”  
  
But Regulus wasn’t listening, he wanted everything to stop. The whispers, the laughter, and the yelling. He heard strangers whisper in his ear, a few said that they’re scared and that he needed to save them, others whispered that he should be ashamed and that the Dark Lord is coming for him. He heard his mother scream, but he couldn’t tell if she was sad, angry, or in pain. And he heard _him_. He was laughing. His laugh promised many days and nights spent solely for his torture. Now he heard his own screams join his mother’s.  
  
“Make it stop Kreacher, please, make them stop.”  
  
“It’s almost over, Master Regulus, this is the last one.”  
  
But the shadows had grown larger and the screams louder, Regulus couldn’t help but scream with them, until his cries turned to a mere whimper that when Kreacher pushed the cup to his mouth he couldn’t help but swallow.  
  
“You did it, Master,” the elf’s voice was full of relief as he reached for the Locket in the basin, “it is done, Master did it… Master...”  
  
But the shadows lingered, they came closer, but they had faces now. His mother’s face was full of disappointment and dejection. The face of his father had a look of fury and distaste. The third shadow stayed away, as if it didn’t belong, but Regulus recognized it in a second. Was he hurt? Was he ashamed? Did his brother hate him that much that he wouldn’t see him when he was dying?  
  
“Sirius,” he called to his brother who was only but a shadow, “I’m sorry. I know better now. I tried to fix it, Sirius, I tried!”  
  
“Master...”  
  
“Please, don’t hate me, Sirius”  
  
“Master Regulus!”  
  
He looked to the elf, surprised to see him there. _Wasn’t he dead already? Isn’t that what the shadows were for? They would take him away, he knew that. _  
  
“Kreacher, this an order, leave me,” Regulus felt like he needed to remind the elf, “Leave and never tell mother and father.”  
  
“No, no, Kreacher mustn’t leave Master,” he spoke between sobs, “please, Master..”  
  
“Kreacher go, NOW!”__

____

____

______________________________

His head was burning. Even the thought of opening his eyes was painful. But he had to; his sleep only offered menacing nightmares full of dark caves and screaming ghosts. Regulus opened his eyes to more darkness, but as his eyes adjusted, he knew he was not in his bed. He also knew he wasn’t in number 12 Grimmauld’s Place, the walls were too plain with none of the portraits that covered the walls of his home and served as spies for his mother.  
  
As he looked around the room, he noticed an armchair with a sleeping girl with a book in her lab. She had red hair. Regulus panicked as he thought of who the girl could be, he remembered the hair and the constant presence of books. Did the Order get to him? Was he a prisoner? Did they know what he did?  
  
Just as he was trying to scramble out of bed, the door opened and Kreacher entered with a very loud gasp, “Master Regulus!” he was suddenly at the foot of his bed crying on his feet, “Master is awake, Kreacher thought Master Regulus would sleep forever! But don’t fret Master, Kreacher put his head through the wall twice, before he was stopped by the…”  
  
The girl woke up in the middle of Kreacher’s rant with a start, and when she saw he was awake she ran outside the room and called for someone. He would’ve heard who she was calling, if it wasn’t for Kreacher’s constant fussing.  
  
“Kreacher!”  
  
“Yes, Master.”  
  
“Where are we?”  
  
The elf hesitated before saying, “If Kreacher says, the Young Master will be angry with Kreacher.”  
  
“Kreacher. Speak! Now!”  
  
“Yes, Master.” He swallowed before continuing, “When Master ordered Kreacher, to leave Master’s side, Kreacher knew Master would die. So Kreacher did the only thing in order to save Master’s life.” He looked around the room as if to check for intruders, “Kreacher came to find Master Sirius, Master’s ungrateful brother, but Kreacher couldn’t tell Master Sirius about the cave because of Master’s orders, so Kreacher only told Master Sirius that Kreacher had to leave Master Regulus, and if Master Regulus is left on his own, Master would die. Master Sirius ordered Kreacher to bring Master Regulus here.”  
  
If Regulus's throat didn't feel so raw he would’ve screamed at him, but out of pure frustration he managed to shove the elf off his feet, “How could- You insolent little creature!”  
  
Kreacher ran to the wall and started slamming his head against it multiple times with so much force as if the old elf wanted to go through it, chanting “Mater is alive but Master is angry… Mater is alive but Master is angry”. Regulus had never seen the house-elf punish himself so relentlessly before, and that’s when guilt started to pool in his stomach.  
  
“You should really ask him to stop before he reaches through to my neighbor’s flat. It’ll give her such a fright.”  
  
There at the door, stood his older brother who he had not seen since he was sixteen, yet it looked as Sirius Black had not changed at all. He was leaning against the doorway with same careless attitude he sported at home that drove mother half-mad, and he was wearing muggle clothes from head to toe similar to the ones he used to borrow from his friends at school.  
  
Regulus had nothing to say to his brother, after what happened in the cave and begging his ghost for forgiveness, he felt as if his real brother would just laugh at him. And looking at him now, he remembered how they fought so much, how different the paths they took. How they were no longer brothers.  
  
“So you’re not going to say anything?” asked Sirius looking exasperated, “after the little stink of an elf appeared in my flat yelling about how his precious master is dying, after he brings you here looking like death itself, that I had to call Lily to see you, after she read an entire book about antidotes to finally get you to stop shaking and screaming in your sleep. After I made her swear not to tell anyone in the Order, including her husband, about you so they don’t march in to arrest you, you’re not going to say anything?”  
  
All Regulus wanted to do was to tell him; say that he didn’t want to be here, that he wanted to die, that if he didn’t die tonight the Dark Lord will kill him. He wanted to say that he was scared. He couldn’t.  
  
“I didn’t ask for your..”  
  
“WILL YOU TELL HIM TO STOP?”  
  
Kreacher was still against the wall, now slowly bumping his head against it and still mumbling, _Mater is alive, but Master is angry _, the sound almost faded into the background of his mind.  
  
“Kreacher, stop.” The elf stopped only to curl himself on the floor, and whimper some more.  
  
With a sigh Sirius, dragged the armchair across the room to the side of Regulus’s bed, and sat down. “Do you realize how much of a fright you gave me?” Sirius asked in a tired voice, “but now, as thankful as I am that my brother is not dead on my floor, let me tell you that I will not hesitate to call the entire Order, the Ministry, and even Voldemort himself, if you don’t tell me what on Godric’s name happened to you, and what on earth did you do to the rusty old creature to frighten him so much!”  
  
“Sirius,” he felt strange just calling his name, but after all his brother said, he felt like he owned him at least that, “I can't, if he knows what I did- he can’t know, I can’t say anything.”  
  
“Voldemort?”  
  
By instinct he yelled, “Don’t say his name!”  
  
“Okay! Maybe calm down a bit,” said Sirius holding his hands up, “just tell me who you pissed off so much that you’re too scared to even bloody talk! And do you think if you tell me anything I’ll go running to Vol… your Dark lord? I may have not seen you in about three years but I’m still your brother.”  
  
“I’m not scared,” mumbled Regulus yet he never felt like a scared boy running to his older brother, as much he did now.  
  
“Whatever then! You’re not scared!” Motioned Sirius dramatically, “Can you talk, then? And I give you my word that I’ll keep your secrets, and I also offer you my protection that no Lord, dark or not, can touch you.”  
  
Regulus almost felt like smiling. He thought he’d never smile again.  
  
So he told him everything.__

____

____

______________________________

Sirius kept pacing the room, “And you’re sure it’s a horcrux?”  
  
“No, I’m not, but what else could it be,” answered Regulus exacerbated since this was the third time he answered that question.  
  
“And you just took it?”  
  
“Well, I also left a note.”  
  
“You’re joking, right?”  
  
“No?”  
  
His brother threw his head back, laughing, “Of course you left a bloody note!!”  
  
“This is NOT funny Sirius!” Regulus almost whined, he felt like they were children again at Grimmauld’s Place, “I just betrayed the Dark Lord, he’ll kill me! He’ll also kill you just out of spite”  
  
“Okay, I got your point!” his brother took a deep breath before continuing, “NOW! What’s your plan?”  
  
“Destroy it, of course.”  
  
“And how do you suppose we do that?” Asked Sirius, but his younger brother had no answer, since he had every intention to die in that cave and leave the task of destroying the Locket to Kreacher, never thinking it’ll pose much of a challenge. Sirius started to look very skeptically at his brother when he gave no answer, and took another approach, “What do you know about horcruxes?”  
  
Regulus did not appreciate his doubtful tone nor his skeptical gaze, “Well, I know that it’s a piece of one’s soul that he deposits into an object, so the person can’t die when a part of his soul still exists somewhere.” The more he thought of it the more hate grew in him toward his former master, “It is evil.”  
  
“Yes, that is true, and I’m also glad you finally figured the evil part out,” the older Black said, “but there is more, you see the object itself as well is not as easy to destroy as stepping on a pocket watch”  
  
“Then how do you propose would be best to destroy it?”  
  
“We ask for help.”  
  
The idea of someone else knowing about the Horcrux sent a shiver down Regulus’s spine, “Sirius, please,” he had to swallow before saying, “I can’t.”  
  
“Regulus,” said Sirius, holding his brother’s gaze, “you just made the biggest step in bringing down Voldemort! What you did in one night did more than the Order has ever done in years. We have to make it count.”  
  
There were tears in Regulus’s eyes as he nodded to his brother’s words.  
  
Sirius got up and said with finality, “We have to call on Dumbledore; he’ll know what to do. He always does.” 

______________________________

“I don’t understand why I am being summoned at this hour, this better not be one of yours and James's antics, as I’ve had enough of them during your time at Hogwarts.” Regulus heard through the door of the bedroom, as he sat waiting for Sirius to comeback with Professor Dumbledore, where his brother told him to get some rest, but after half an hour of tossing and turning he gave up on sleep and decided to wait for their return. He’s here, Regulus thought; he couldn’t understand why his old Headmaster made him so bloody anxious, perhaps it was due to his time amongst the ranks of Death Eaters that he has developed the instinct that the old Professor was his natural enemy.  
  
“I promise you Professor, this is important,” answered Sirius as their footsteps got louder and closer, and Regulus realized they were coming to the room.  
  
Sirius opened the door and looked at Regulus for a moment as if waiting for something, and Regulus has never before felt more gratitude to his older brother, so he gave him a reassuring nod that he didn’t feel. And Sirius stepped aside to let the older wizard into the room. Was the Headmaster always this tall and threatening?  
  
“Professor this is my brother Regulus, if you remember him, he was in Hogwarts only a year ago,” Sirius introduce his younger brother almost nervously, but it didn’t seem necessary as Professor Dumbledore was already frowning in recognition, “He came to my place close to death only a few hours ago, with quite a harrowing ordeal.”  
  
“Yes, of course I remember him, he was an extraordinary student and a seeker if I remember correctly,” replied the older wizard, “but last I’ve heard of him was that he was amongst the company of Voldemort’s Death Eaters, and I don’t understand what he is doing in your house, Sirius.”  
  
“That’s what I’m trying to explain, Professor,” said Sirius, not picking-up on the Headmaster’s tone, “We need your help, Professor…”  
  
“We?” asked Dumbledore, “Where’s the rest of the Order? Why has the Ministry not arrested him yet? Or have you joined your brother’s side, Sirius? Have you become sympathetic to his cause?”  
  
The tension in the room was palpable and Regulus almost sank into the bed, fearing the old wizard’s rage.  
  
“NO! Of course not!” Sirius said sounding just as horrified as Regulus but he managed to still show his offense, “Will you not listen to him? I told you this important and very sensitive, otherwise I wouldn’t have called you at this hour.”  
  
The Headmaster looked between the brothers while they waited for his answer; he could either agree to hear them or bring the roof down on their heads. He finally settled his gaze on Regulus and prompted, “Go on then.”  
  
Regulus finally breathed easier, but the fear that Dumbledore wouldn’t believe him remained, so he told him everything from the start, and he mentioned details he has yet to confess to Sirius. The Professor had a passive look on his face as if heard this for the tenth time, but when Regulus mentioned the cave his eyes changed, almost as if that’s what he wanted to hear for years, and when he got to the Locket, Regulus could’ve swore he almost saw a smile on the Headmaster’s face.  
  
Unlike Sirius, Albus Dumbledore had only one question after Regulus told his tale, “Where is the Locket?”  
  
Regulus Black could laugh out of relief that he managed to win over Albus Dumbledore. If he was on Dumbledore’s side at least he had a chance.  
  
But he needed guarantees, the Locket was his only leverage he couldn’t hand it over to him without at least the promise of at least some protection, “It is safe.”  
  
Both Sirius and Dumbledore stared at him for a moment, then Dumbledore asked curtly, “And where is that?”  
  
“I can’t tell you,”, said Regulus, and at the Professor’s cold threatening stare, he hurried, “I need your word to give me insurance of my protection from the Ministry and from the Dark Lord”  
  
“Have I not promised you that already?” Asked Sirius sounding affronted.  
  
“Yes, you have. As my brother. But I need his word as the head of the Order.”  
  
Looking as impatient and irritated as Regulus has ever seen him, Professor Dumbledore said sharply, “Yes, you have my word and my full protection. Safehouses, Wizengamot testimonies, and Order members at your calling. Now, the Locket.”  
  
Regulus only looked at him and called, “Kreacher,” when the old elf appeared with a pop, he ordered, “bring the Locket”  
  
The House-elf bowed dramatically with wary eyes toward the other wizards in the room, “Yes, Master Regulus.”  
  
He disappeared with another pop, just to return a second later, bowing again to Regulus, and mumbling, “Kreacher doesn’t like the Locket, Locket makes Kreacher afraid, bad evil Locket.”  
  
Regulus ordered the elf to leave, and then turned to his former Headmaster, and offered him the Locket by the chain, and the Professor took it with an effort not to seem too eager, especially after hearing what Kreacher said about it.  
  
Thinking of the weight that has been taken off his shoulders, Regulus thought he might get some sleep tonight, after all.

______________________________

The safehouse that the Order provided was a beautiful beach-house by the coast of Wales that seemed so shielded and disconnected from the rest of the town around it, and it somehow was fitting that the young-man who was dead to the rest of the world, made a life there.  
  
Regulus has been living in the safehouse for almost a year and a half, with only Kreacher to see him and make sure he was still eating and breathing, and after the death of the Master and Mistress of House Black, the elf had little else to do. As for his older brother, who used to make the trip every three weeks or so, just to give him a quick update on the fighting and whether or not the younger Black was safe at his current sanctuary or not. But after one visit where Sirius came into the beach house in his Animagus form, which frightened Regulus into the corner of the house thinking death has finally paid him a visit, Sirius only said, “Oh, I guess you’ve never seen my Animagus form!”  
  
“Never seen it? I didn’t even now you _were_ an Animagus!”  
  
“Huh… I guess I never told you.”  
  
Since that incidence, Sirius made his visits a weekly occurrence, where he brought drinks and the brothers spent nights just talking and sharing all that they’d missed out on each other’s lives. Sometimes Sirius would bring one of his friends along, which almost always turned into an awkward affair; except for when Lily Potter came, it was always nice to see her. Maybe because she brought him brownies and books.  
  
It was a Thursday night on October, and Regulus had not seen Sirius in two weeks, but he didn’t think much of it, assuming his brother is being held up by the Order. And when Sirius finally came in the house, he was drenched in the autumn rain, but he didn’t bother with drying and kept pacing around the house. Regulus attempts to bring him some tea were completely ignored in favor of some more pacing. When he finally turned to his younger brother, there was panic in his eyes, as if the faith of whole Wizarding world fell on whatever he was about to say, “Regulus. I don’t know what to do. But if I don’t do something, we could all be screwed.”  
  
“Sirius, you’ll have to start from the top, because I’m not following. You’re also scaring me.”  
  
His older brother took three deep breaths before finally continuing in a more controlled voice, “James and Lily are in danger, and I am not at liberty to say why, and they’ve made me their Secret Keeper.”  
  
“And?”  
  
“Can’t you see, Regulus? I’m the most obvious choice! Who doesn’t know I’m best mates with James?” said his brother almost begging him to understand, “Everyone we went to school with knows, and half of them are Death Eaters now!”  
  
“So you’re afraid the Dark Lord will get to you?”, asked Regulus trying his best to understand his brother’s predicament.  
  
“No, and YES! If he gets to me, he won’t even bother with asking, he’ll just kill me, and then everyone will be a Secret Keeper. And that’s just dangerous!”  
  
“Okay,” said Regulus in his best calming voice, “what’s your plan?”  
  
Some of the panic in the older Black seemed to ease away at his younger brother’s answer, “We have to change the Secret Keeper to someone else,” said Sirius nodding his head, “someone Voldemort wouldn’t suspect, someone non-threatening, and I could be the bait that lures him away from the them!”  
  
“I’m not sure I like this idea,” said Regulus gingerly as his brother’s smile widened, “Sirius, he’ll kill you!!”  
  
“Oh! Don’t worry, brother.” Sirius waved at his brother’s concern, “I’ll put up a good fight, and I know exactly who the Secret Keeper should be,” clapping his hands with finality.  
  
“Sirius, no, you don’t understand, you can’t just-”  
  
Sirius cut him off hurriedly, “Sorry, Regulus, I really can’t argue about this all night, I finally got this figured out and I have to run to James’s, quick.”  
  
Any argument Regulus had died in his throat as his brother practically ran toward the door. Sometimes his older brother’s impulsiveness scared him, and other times Regulus wished he was more like him. 

______________________________

It has been three weeks since Sirius Black came to the safehouse, and unlike his previous periods of absence, this time had Regulus worried sick about his brother, and with only Kreacher for company he almost went mad. He thought of all the ways the Dark Lord could be torturing his brother, asking about his friends, asking about the Secret Keeper. He thought of how his brother would scream and try to fight, and it sent shivers through him, because it would all be in vain, and the Dark Lord always gets what he wants. He thought of how his brother could be found dead in some alley. Sometimes Regulus found it hard to breath.  
  
On the Friday of the fourth week since he last seen Sirius, there was someone knocking at his door. Even though he knew Sirius Black never knocks, he was still hoping to open the door and find his brother grinning at him and asking if he missed him. Instead of Sirius, at his doorstep stood a smiling Albus Dumbledore.  
  
“Good evening, Mr. Black.”  
  
“Professor,” said Regulus, gaping at the older wizard for a moment, before finally inviting him inside.  
  
“Well I must say, you were quite lucky with this safehouse, the other ones that are under the Order are not as much in shape as this one,” the Professor said, but it barely registered with Regulus, as he was trying to hold himself together, in fear of the news that brought Dumbledore to his quiet home.  
  
“With all due respect, Professor,” said Regulus, “What brings you here? Any news about my brother?”  
  
“Yes, of course,” as if the Headmaster only remembered why he’s here, “I’ll get to your brother in a moment, I’m here to let you know that you, Regulus Black, are a free man and have no need to be in hiding anymore.”  
  
“What do you mean free?”  
  
“Well, free as in you’ll come stand in front of the Wizengmont and be pardoned of all your previous misdeeds as I promised,” explained Dumbledore, “free, as in Voldemort no longer stands and I’m afraid the Wizarding World have celebrated his fall without you.”  
  
Professor Dumbledore had a look of amusement as he watched Regulus who was stunned to silence before finally mumbling, “That’s not possible.”  
  
“Yet here we are,” said Dumbledore, then handed his former student an edition of the prophet, the date was 1st of November.  
  
Regulus sat there reading the front page over and over, yet not once did it seem to make any sense, “But, Professor,” said Regulus, “the Horcrux, have you destroyed it? Does that mean that now he can be killed? And by a one year old?!”  
  
“No, Regulus, I have yet to destroy the Locket.”  
  
“Then he can’t be dead!”  
  
“But I never said he was dead,” said Dumbledore in his most all-knowing look, “I only said he has fallen.”  
  
After minutes of Regulus just contemplating everything he just heard, and with his old headmaster watching the wheels turn in his head, Regulus spoke ominously “One day, he will return.”  
  
“Yes.” Dumbledore said almost seeming exited someone else knew the secret that only he knew, “You see, I do have many theories on that, alas, I’m not willing to discuss them at the present time, as there is also the matter of your brother.”  
  
“What happened to Sirius?” Regulus asked, sounding as alarmed as he was when he first saw the Professor at his doorstep.  
  
“Sirius Black, has been arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban without a trial for thirteen counts of murder, revealing the Potters' whereabouts which lead to their death, and for his service to Lord Voldemort.” Dumbledore recited the charges quickly, before saying in a quiet voice, “I’m sorry, Regulus.”  
  
“That’s not Sirius,” was all Regulus could say.  
  
“I’m afraid there were many witnesses.”  
  
“You don’t understand Professor, it wasn’t Sirius!”, Regulus couldn’t even imagine his brother and the Dark Lord in the same room let alone that Sirius could’ve been in his service, “Sirius would NOT do that! He would never join the Dark Lord”  
  
“Perhaps you didn’t know much...”  
  
“I DO!” Regulus couldn’t bear to hear anymore, “He came to me a few weeks ago, before the Potter’s were attacked, he said he had to change the Secret Keeper that he would be too obvious, he even went to see James about it!”  
  
The Headmaster looked at him with pity in his eyes, “I guess he chose the easier way.”  
  
“No.” Regulus got up and looked to the door, “I think it’s time for you to leave, Professor.”  
  
The old wizard got up and walked toward Regulus and said, “I know this is a shock, but it’ll get easier,” and he placed his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, and Regulus had to fight the urge and not shove him away, “You’ll get an owl about your hearing, in a few days. And I assure you, your brother’s arrest will not come in the way of your freedom.”  
  
Anger surged through Regulus as he watched Albus Dumbledore walk out of the house, if he had some of Sirius’s recklessness, he might have hexed the arrogant old buffoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- there are two other chapters and I will post them soon  
> \- this story takes a different timeline from canon but it will follow similar events  
> \- if Dumbledore sounds too O/C, I just have a headcanon that he was scary mean during the first wizarding war
> 
> please share and review <33


	2. Chapter 2

Upon receiving the Ministry’s pardon, Regulus Black walked into Grimmauld Place after nearly two years, yet there was a bitter taste lingering in his mouth. It should have been him rotting in Azkaban, thought Regulus, it should’ve been him who was called a murderer and a Death Eater; Sirius didn’t deserve it.  
  
After the death of his parents, the care of the family home has been left to his brother and the aging Kreacher; one didn’t care much for the home of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and the latter was grieving too much that he was too busy depressed to care for the house. But the elderly House-elf still managed to give Regulus a warm welcome, as he raved about how he had missed Master, how Mistress cried over her son’s death, how the news broke Mistress’s heart, and how it must’ve been the thankless Master Sirius’s fault to have Master Regulus leave Mistress to think Young Master was dead. And each day he had to hear more venom directed towards his brother from Kreacher and the charming portrait of his mother, Regulus started taking refuge in his room more and more. He had never realized how dark and depressing his childhood home can be, and only after experiencing the brightness of the beach house, did he realize what his life had been missing; some bloody windows.  
  
He spent months with the only socialized act he did was writing daily letters to Azkaban to allow him to visit his brother. The Ministry has been so strict about allowing any interaction between the brothers, so much so they wouldn’t even let him write to Sirius. And it was clear that even though they have pardoned him, the Ministry did not trust him. Regulus, however, did not let go and kept sending letters, thinking maybe he’ll pester them enough that someday, they might just approve his visits.  
  
There was one letter that Regulus hesitated to owl, the one he thinks might actually get him somewhere. To the only man he knew that had enough power to sway the Ministry, Albus Dumbledore. But after their last meeting, Regulus hated to ask the man for a favor, with all the things he said about Sirius. Yet with the only other option is to writing letters with barely anyone on the other end for the rest of his miserable life, Regulus had no other choice. He sent the letter.

_____________________________

Regulus received nothing from Dumbledore since he sent his letter, two weeks ago. He didn’t know what to expect from the Headmaster, but any sort of answer would’ve been nice. So, Regulus resumed his previous target which was nagging the Ministry into submission.  
  
Until one Friday morning, came a knock at his bedroom door, and when Kreacher came in with his usual bow and greetings, he said, “Master Regulus, Professor Albus Dumbledore came through the Floo, and wishes to join master Regulus for tea.”  
  
Regulus was off his bed in a second, and closed on the elf, “Why was that not the First thing you tell me? When did he come through?”  
  
“Kreacher only wanted to be proper,”  
  
Regulus wasn’t listening to the elf already going to the lavatory, as months of solitude has not made him exactly presentable. Then he turned back to Kreacher, “We have tea, right?”  
  
“Yes, of course, Master Regulus.”  
  
“Well, what are you standing here for? Go and prepare the damn tea.”  
  
Kreacher seemed to be about to jump from the joy, at the idea of serving tea, the elf has been waiting to entertain guests in the house for far too long.  
  
When Regulus came into the drawing room, he found Professor Dumbledore sitting in front of the table that was full of fruit cakes, scones and all kinds of other sweets, that Kreacher must have whipped out in a matter of minutes. Regulus’s gaze, however, was firmly set on the older wizard.  
  
“Mr. Black, thank you for allowing me to join for tea on this fine morning,” greeted Dumbledore as if it was a joy just to see Regulus.  
  
“Of course, Professor,” answered Regulus who couldn’t help but sound suspicious of the old man’s warm greetings, but he joined him and sat on the armchair across from him, hoping that the distance will ease his nerves.  
  
“Don’t fret, Mr. Black, I learned my lesson with you after our last encounter,” said Dumbledore, “so I will be quick to get to the point.”  
  
Before Regulus could say anything, Dumbledore continued, “You see Mr. Regulus, I was very pleased when your letter reached me last week, but alas, after talking with my friends in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I’m afraid they’re quite set, to separate you from your brother; nevertheless, there might be some hope that they could be willing to give-in on letting you write to each other, as they seemed to have received an irksome amount of complaints on the matter.”  
  
“Thank you, Professor, I appreciate the efforts.”  
  
“It wasn’t much of a trouble,” the Professor said, “On the other hand, the main reason I was so glad to hear from you and came to meet you in person instead of sending an owl, Mr. Black, is the Locket, as it had taken too much of the little time that I have.”  
  
“I don’t understand, Professor, can it not be destroyed?”  
  
“It can be, of course, but there are a very few known ways to destroy a Horcrux,” answered Dumbledore, “And after months of studying the Locket, I am confident that that’s what it is. And as I am sure you know, a horcrux is fragment of someone’s soul that is hidden into any form of vessel, but you see the only way to damage that soul, one has to destroy the vessel beyond any magical repair. Now, the few methods seemed either unfit for our particular object or rather impossible to obtain without raising some questions. There is one technique, however, that I’ve been thinking would be perfect for the Locket; and that’s where I would like to ask for your assistance.”  
  
Regulus sat very still, trying to sort through all the information he just received, it felt like a lot since he only just woke-up fifteen minutes ago. After realizing the Headmaster expected an answer, he cleared his throat and said, “Yes. Of course. I’ll do anything to destroy that thing.”  
  
With a smile back on his face, Dumbledore clapped his hands, “Wonderful,” he said with obvious glee, “Now, Mr. Black, what do you know about Fiendfyre?”

_____________________________

Ever since his first visit, Dumbledore has been frequenting Grimmauld’s Place every Friday. Regulus felt like he was back at Hogwarts, with Dumbledore explaining what needs to be done and the possible mishaps they could face and reprimanding him whenever he lost his focus. Yet, the feeling of having a purpose other than hopelessly sending letters, made him feel alive again, so much so that he started leaving his room, joining Kreacher for lunch, and wandering into the library for some light reading. But nobody was as happy as Kreacher, for he enjoyed nothing more than hosting guests, and watching Master Regulus eat.  
  
After understanding how Dumbledore means to destroy the Locket, it became clear to Regulus that the Professor needs another wizard in order to control the spell and he only came to Regulus because he did not want to let anyone else know about the Horcrux. Even though Regulus agrees with the notion, he still did not trust the old wizard; it felt like whatever secret the Professor was sharing with Regulus, he was hiding four more. Regulus, however, felt inclined to do this, if the Locket is not destroyed, the whole nightmare that was the cave would’ve been for nothing.  
  
When the plan was finally set, Dumbledore apparated them to an empty field, he then set the locket only a few steps away from where they were standing.  
  
“Now, as we agreed after I say the incantation, you’ll immediately produce the sealed cauldron, and then you let me take care of the rest,” said Dumbledore, “and I don’t have to tell you again but if anything goes amiss, you don’t wait for me and apparate.”  
  
“Yes, Professor,” he would’ve been sick of hearing it by now, if this whole task didn’t make him so on edge.  
  
And after all the weeks of preparation, it passed in a mere instant of a big fire that had Regulus reacting instantly to try and maintain it, then Dumbledore muttered a few more spells, that the cauldron burnt very bright red, and just before Regulus thought it’d explode, it suddenly settled with what sounded like whimpering.  
  
They stood together watching the cauldron, until no sound came from it, and when Dumbledore finally opened it to find the locket that was looking charred and oozing a dark liquid almost like it was bleeding. Regulus only sighed in relief, “Thank Salazar.”

_____________________________

Dumbledore’s visits didn’t stop, and Regulus didn’t have the heart to tell him there was no need for them to meet anymore, since it felt like the Professor needed someone to bounce off his theories with. He told Regulus about how he has been researching the life of Tom Riddle before he became the Dark Lord, and about the memories he’s been collecting and the ones he needed to get. But Dumbledore never revealed what was in the memories, what he was looking for, or even why. It’s never the whole truth with Albus Dumbledore.  
  
In truth, Regulus didn’t really mind, he enjoyed the old wizard’s company and he liked having conversation that didn’t involve what he wanted for dinner. At one point he asked the younger wizard to call him Albus.  
  
The Professor also kept him updated on what’s happening in the Wizarding world, but when Regulus asks about his brother, Dumbledore would just shake his and Regulus would know.  
  
In the middle of one of their conversation, while they were having tea, Dumbledore paused before saying, “I think I found something.”  
  
That caused Regulus to turn in anticipation toward the Headmaster, intrigued to finally be allowed to know the man’s secrets.  
  
“In one of the most recent memories I acquired, the subject of the memory met our young friend Tom Riddle, and it ended with quite a row. And when the subject of the memories woke up the next day, he had no memories of the rest of the meeting and he found that he was missing one of his treasured family heirlooms.” Dumbledore gave a knowing look at his last word.  
  
“You think the Dark Lord stole it?” Not seeing the importance of the relatively minor offence the Dark Lord might’ve committed in his youth.  
  
“Yes, I believe he did,” said the Professor, “But I also think he stole it for a very specific purpose.”  
  
It clicked in Regulus’s head, “Like the Locket! Are you saying there could be another Horcrux?”  
  
“Yes, Regulus, it’s very possible.”  
  
With the look on Albus’s face, Regulus knew there was more, “And you know where it is, don’t you?”  
  
Three days later, they arrived at Little Hangleton, they walked down a hill and crossed dirt tracks until Dumbledore pointed to a shack that had overgrown trees that almost blocked the view to the house. As they reached the shack, Regulus almost felt the hum of dark magic creep on his skin that it gave him goosebumps.  
  
“Yes, there’s definitely a Horcrux.”  
  
“Why?” asked Dumbledore, “Was the cave similar?”  
  
“Yes, I think it’s the same wards,” said Regulus, “but the cave felt worse than this,” he felt sick at the memory.  
  
“I see,” said Dumbledore, “perhaps time has worn the wards out, but we’ll soon see.”  
  
When the door to the shack didn’t open, Regulus wordlessly made a deep cut in his palm with his wand, spread the blood on the door and opened it while avoiding Dumbledore’s curious eyes the whole time.  
  
After finding a ring with even more wards surrounding it, that had Dumbledore murmuring some enchantments, until he finally reached out and took the ring, when he gave Regulus a nod, he understood and reached for his hand where they apparated to the same empty field where they destroyed the Locket.  
  
This time they heard a distant cry from deep within the cauldron.

_____________________________

Years have passed, yet Regulus and Dumbledore’s meetings were still quite regular. It was either to debate the latest news from the Ministry’s hearings, or to discuss the ongoing research that Dumbledore has on Tom Riddle’s life; Albus even asked Regulus for all the memories he has with the Dark Lord, and although he was hesitant on sharing those memories he knew that the Professor would be able to notice anything odd that he could’ve missed at the time. He didn’t share memories of the cave; it was bad enough that he still had nightmares about them and he didn’t want to relive again.  
  
As their friendship grew, Dumbledore grew more open he sometimes even shared some of the memories he collected. The most interesting one was when they watched a fresh out of Hogwarts Tom Riddle charming Hepzibah Smith into showing her prized collection which included the Locket and what she claimed to be Hufflepuff's Cup, and when Dumbledore told him the lady was found poisoned two days later, Regulus was not surprised as he knew the Dark Lord, has managed to obtain the Locket, and now they know he must’ve also stolen the Cup.  
  
Ever since that revelation, Dumbledore has charged Regulus with the task of looking for the Cup with the help of a rough outline of all the places that they knew the Dark Lord had connections to, while the Professor kept adding more memories to his collection.  
  
Welcoming the task, Regulus crossed the country looking for traces where the Dark Lord could have hidden his precious Horcruxes, he even travelled to Albania where he stayed a whole year looking through old houses and trekking forests looking for signs, finding nothing. But Regulus found that traveling and leaving Grimmauld’s Place suited him, so every time Albus suggested maybe he should stop his voyages Regulus suggested another corner of the world that could have the hidden Horcrux, and the Professor only humored him by agreeing to his plans.  
  
A topic that Dumbledore never dropped throughout the years, was the Potter boy. He never told Regulus the reason, but he always talked about the boy like he was very important, and as if he really believed that he was the Chosen One like everyone said on the Prophet; to Regulus, the whole thing was either a fluke, or some powerful charm that Lily Potter must’ve casted. But to Albus, the boy was everything.  
  
When the boy came to Hogwarts, the Headmaster’s interests intensified, he kept talking about how he looked just like James did when he was young, and the boy was even involved in as much mischief as his father was in his time at school. Regulus only remembered James Potter at school as an arrogant git who liked picking fight with anyone wearing Slytherin green; while James seemed to have changed in his years after Hogwarts, his son might’ve gotten his haughtiness, nevertheless.  
  
And trouble seems to either follow the boy or he is the one seeking it out; just in his first year he managed to, according to Albus, singlehandedly defeat a symbiotic form of the Dark Lord and destroy the Philosopher’s stone. The appearance of the Dark Lord alarmed Regulus to some degree, but the Professor waved if off as if it was something he was expecting to happen at some point. Albus believed it all came down to the boy, even Voldemort’s renovated efforts was due to the boy’s presence at Hogwarts.  
  
The following November, however, Albus’s only and main concern was the Chamber of Secrets, and how he is sure it was Tom Riddle who opened it 50 years ago, and it must be him reopening it, now. The Headmaster was convinced of the Dark Lord’s return, and when he was suspended by the school board, he swore it was Malfoy this time who brought Voldemort back just as Quirrell did, the previous year.  
  
But everything changed when he found the Diary.  
  
“I’m not following you, Albus”  
  
“Regulus, you have to see it,” explained Dumbledore, “Tom Riddle managed to manipulate an 11 year-old girl to do his bidding, through a diary! The Diary did not only hold Tom’s old self and thoughts, it grew its own wants and purpose. No magic, dark or light, can achieve a will that strong in an inanimate object. It held a piece of him, I’m sure.”  
  
“You think it was Horcrux,” said Regulus, “and do tell me how the Potter boy was able to destroy a Horcrux, when the two of us barely manage?”  
  
At this Albus smiled, “The Basilisk’s venom! It’s one of the few substances known to damage a Horcrux without repair; I was looking for it for two years, before I finally gave up and asked your help with the Fiendfyre.”  
  
“Well that’s fortunate, I guess,” said Regulus, rolling his eyes.

_____________________________

Midsummer, while Regulus was having his breakfast in the kitchen, he heard Kreacher shriek in fright. When he rushed to see the elf, he found him in the entry hall. As soon as Kreacher saw him he started spluttering apologies, “Master! Kreacher only just found it! Kreacher did very bad Master! But Kreacher will remove the filth at Master’s door right away, Master.”  
  
One look at the bundle on the floor at Kreacher’s feet, had regulus pulling the house-elf away from it. The big black hound laying on his front door showed barely any sign of life. Regulus turned to Kreacher, “Bring warm water, and prepare food for him, he’ll be hungry.”  
  
“Master, who is him?”  
  
“Now, Kreacher!”  
  
Regulus refused to think he was dead, he wouldn’t have come all the way to the house to die here; Sirius hates it here. Picking up the shaggy looking dog and carrying it the sofa, Regulus could see he was underfed as he felt his bones even through the fur. _How was Sirius here? Has he been released? Have they finally found out the truth about his innocence? _  
  
After being swaddled by blankets and managing to swallow some of the water, the dog finally stirred awake and after looking around the room, morphed into his older brother who he hasn’t seen in 12 years.  
  
“I can’t believe you’re living here.”  
  
Regulus smiled, he never realized how much he had missed his brother, “Well, nowadays it’s not so bad with only me around.”  
  
“I doubt it, if that horrendous creature is still alive,” with that they heard a crash, as Kreacher dropped the plate of food he had prepared upon seeing the long imprisoned Black brother, “Yeah, it sounds great.” __

____

____

_____________________________

“Do you believe me?”, asked Sirius in an uncharacteristically vulnerable voice.  
  
“Of course, I do!” answered Regulus, “I know you changed the Secret Keeper, and more importantly, I know you’d never turn to the Dark Lord!”  
  
“I thought you’d say that, which is why I came to see you first,” said Sirius now smirking, “I even heard from the guards how much you bothered them for years with your letters. Thank you, brother.”  
  
Warmth spread through Regulus’s chest, and he had nothing left to say other than his admission that he believed him. Sirius’s story, on the other hand, had him anxious for his brother’s life, he knew that Grimmauld’s Place was as secure as it could possibly be and with the Floo network closed not even Dumbledore could come inside, but he also knew that Sirius had very little intention of staying.  
  
After a few days of sleeping on the sofa, not even going to his old room, Sirius said that he had matters to take care of, but he wouldn’t tell Regulus what they were. When he left, he only took a few prepared rations by Kreacher that he inspected for poison a few times.  
  
A week later, Ministry officials were requesting entry to Grimmauld’s Place, and when he let them in, they searched the house and interrogated him about his brother’s whereabouts, and they even questioned Kreacher and the portraits. Regulus, however, had already taken every precaution, ordering Kreacher to never mention Sirius’s visit and threatened to free him if he let anything slip. He also forced the portraits to make vows of secrecy and the ones he didn’t trust, he either silenced, or locked in a safe.  
  
After the Ministry, Albus came for a visit in the pretense of stopping for tea, but Regulus knew enough by now to see he’s here to make his own interrogation. Regulus had to pretend he was annoyed with his brother for escaping and not even paying him a visit, but when Albus said that he feared for Harry’s safety which Sirius’s escape could threaten; Regulus’s anger fumed at his friend and he reminded him that Sirius is innocent and he would never hurt the boy. Albus only apologized and took his leave, and Regulus was left reminded of the first time he yelled at the man; they were in the beach house, they were arguing about Sirius that time, too.  
  
It was later in the year, when Regulus finally started to get the Daily Prophet, mainly to find out what Sirius has been up to, apparently he managed to yet again escape the dementors, this time it says it was with the help of a wanted hippogriff, it all sounded ridiculous until Sirius stopped by before he went into hiding. And Regulus had to hear from another person how great Harry was and how much he looked like James, except his eyes, according to Sirius, he had Lily’s green eyes.  
  
Albus also stopped by, just to say that after Harry told him everything, he realizes now that Sirius had been framed. Which had Regulus almost yelling at the wizard again, about how he has been telling him that for years, and with one word from the chosen boy he believes it; but he was sick of fighting, and he was just happy his friend was on his brother’s side now.

_____________________________

With Sirius newfound freedom, he never stayed in the house more than a fortnight, despite Regulus’s protests. According to the older Black, it was Buckbeak that yearned for the mountains; Regulus never really bought into that lie.  
  
Albus, on the other hand, kept sending letters of apologies that he couldn’t stop by for this and that reason, as the upcoming tournament kept the Headmaster too busy. Most days now, Regulus was left to nurse his worries alone.  
  
It was the Mark; it was tingling, not like it used to when the Dark Lord summoned him, it was more like a distant calling; or a cry for help.  
  
This worried Regulus to no end. Not only had he crossed the Dark Lord himself and allied with Dumbledore but now he had others to be concerned for; he didn’t want his brother after he was finally free to be killed or tortured by Death Eaters, and he also knew Sirius would be devastated if any harm comes to the Potter boy; it will be like losing James all over again. He also feared for Albus, he knows the man has enough power to match the Dark Lord, but he dreads it only draws a bigger target on his friend’s back.  
  
With no one to vent to, he spent his days waiting for the worst and being fussed over by Kreacher for not eating, he read the Prophet looking for any Death Eater sightings or recent assaults on muggles. Then the news of the events in the Quidditch World Cup reached him, it confirmed everything he suspected. He wrote to Albus and told him everything he’d been sensing and that led the Professor to finally drop by Grimmauld’s Place to tell Regulus that he too suspected the worst. Yet he only had a few words of reassurance, “We are more prepared now, we know his secrets, and we won’t stop our search. And when he rises, he won’t be as strong as he was.”  
  
This did very little to quell his fears, especially the use of ‘when’ and not ‘if’.  
  
One thing that had him exited though, was Albus’s request that he may be short of Aurors during the tournament and might be in need of his help. It felt like he hadn’t left the house in a long time with all the worrying and waiting he has been doing; this will do him good.  
  
Sirius, however, seemed to be itching for a fight, the twelve years in Azkaban did very little to thwart his hate for Voldemort; what happened to James and Lily seemed to be his war cry. He was also sure that this was all Peter Pettigrew's doing, the Dark Mark’s appearance, the looming return of Voldemort, and he even blamed him for Harry’s slightly throbbing scar.  
  
On October, Regulus had more things to think about other than his brother’s paranoia, namely that Dumbledore had asked him to Hogwarts to help with the champions selection of Triwizard Tournament. The moment he set foot on the grounds, he remembered how simple life used to be at school, with only quidditch, grades, and house points to worry about. And standing at the doors to the Great Halls, he heard the students talking about nothing but the tournament and who is to be champion, with no grasp on the threat of war. It almost seemed too convenient that Albus had arranged the tournament at this particular time, but he doubted even he could think that far ahead.  
  
When the fourth name came out of the goblet, a deathly silence took over the Great Hall, and Regulus had a good look at Harry Potter; he also recognized the well concealed look of unease on Albus’s face as the boy walked towards the back room. Regulus was mistaken about the boy, he wasn’t the flamboyant arrogant boy that James was, and he wasn’t even the self-righteous bookish Lily, either. To him, he looked like a scared boy who’s only wish was a different life; a simpler one.  
  
When he got home, he sent an owl to Sirius, because he knew his brother will skin him, if he didn’t tell him everything. But he found a letter from Albus, instead, were it seems he wanted to vent out all that happened and what he suspected on paper, so it doesn’t leave his head. The Headmaster had a list of suspects who could’ve put Harry’s name in the goblet, it ranged from Ministry officials to his foreign guests. He didn’t once question the boy’s word, and Regulus couldn’t blame him.  
  
Regulus came back to Hogwarts for the all the three tasks, and he couldn’t help but cheer for Harry through all of them, he guessed the boy must have that effect on most people. On the third and final task, Harry showed up holding a dead boy’s body in his arms. It was a lot of chaos with everyone either crying or yelling, but when all the students were sent away with only the Aurors and professors were left, Albus kept saying, “Alaster… He took Harry away; we need to get to him, fast. We need to get to Harry.”  
  
When the Headmaster finally hollered his orders to his professors, they all rushed away. But Regulus stood very still. His Mark was burning bright, calling.   
  
He had heard what the boy said, he was only muttering but Regulus heard it clear, “He’s back. He’s back… Voldemort.”  
  
Everything Regulus feared flashed through his mind. Death. Torture. The Dark Lord. The Cave.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- my reasoning for Dumbledore not being cursed by the ring in this timeline was because he was more prepared and knew what he was going into with Regulus as his back up
> 
> \- and Regulus does not hate Harry, he's just sick of hearing about him xd
> 
> hope you enjoyed it! one more chapter coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Slowly, in the following months, Dumbledore started reforming the Order of the Phoenix, and his role as its leader became more asserted. He started frequenting the Black's household more often and each time he brought others and introduced them to Regulus; and whenever anyone expressed doubts about Regulus’s loyalties, Albus vouched that he was one of his most trusted allies and friend.  
  
First, it was Remus Lupin who Regulus has met a few times in the past and was Sirius’s closest friend. Then he had to meet Alastor Moody for the second time, who looked even more intimidating than before, as it seems what happened to him in the past year, made him more cynical and paranoid. He also met his cousin, Tonks, who seemed more exited to meet him than anyone has ever been. And one by one, during the summer, he was introduced to the Weasley clan, and Molly Weasley very quickly took over kitchen duties, which made Kreacher even more abhorrent towards their now frequenting houseguests.  
  
Still feeling like an outsider, Regulus tried mostly to stay in the shadows during meetings, but Albus always tried to include him and send him to guard duties, like the others. He didn’t hate it, especially if it was with someone he was comfortable with like Lupin or Tonks, since they were easy to talk and didn’t seem to judge him; guard duties with Moody or Mundungus Fletcher, on the other hand, were far from comfortable with much more questions and a lot of unsettling gazes to make him want to crawl out of his skin.  
  
Grimmauld’s Place became the unofficial headquarters for the Order, where meetings were held, and members reported to after missions. It was due to its capacity to hold a lot of people all at once, but the main reason was that Sirius couldn’t leave the place. That’s what Regulus kept reminding himself whenever the house became too stifling with witches and wizards coming in and out. Sirius couldn’t stand to stay put and the only time he seemed to enjoy himself was when he was with members of the Order; Regulus imagined if he didn’t have that, it would have been a daily battle to hold him back from running away from home, like he was sixteen all over again.  
  
Sirius was the happiest he has ever been when Harry came to stay, he tried to hide it, but it was obvious to Regulus, as he noticed his brother wasn’t sulking around the house anymore, and he was even less petulant and snappy with Kreacher. Harry seemed quite bitter at not being included earlier and only being called for just before school started; while asking to join the Order at his age sounded childish, Regulus saw his point, and he also noticed that Albus seemed to be at the headquarters less whenever Harry was staying, and when he was around for meetings he left without talking to the boy.  
  
The year passed with more missions, overnight guard duties, and even more meetings. Albus only form contact in the last few months have been through letters to the Order about vague mission and instructions, while his whereabouts where mostly unknown. Regulus had some theories on what the wizard was doing, but one thing he knew for sure was that the older wizard was only trying to distract the Order while he went fishing for more information about the horcruxes. Even though, he felt sulky that Albus didn’t confide in him as much as he did before, he understood that the Order will not trust him if he was seen as the only confidant of Dumbledore; even Sirius didn’t fully understand their friendship.  
  
Harry, according to Sirius, has been struggling in the absence of the Headmaster and with the Ministry sending their own pawn to run the school, making his life more difficult; but at Christmas at least he got to stay and spend some time with his godfather, which had the boy a bit more cheerful; and they even had a little game of quidditch with the Weasleys that had Harry and Regulus as seekers for each team. Everyone could see the tension seep out of Harry as he spent time with the closest thing he had to a family; it made Regulus somehow fonder of the boy.  
  
Kreacher, however, seemed to only grow more bitter with every houseguest that came over, and after defending the elf to Sirius too many times, even Regulus started to get sick of the elf's behaviour, with the poisonous words he’s been spitting and the all trouble he’s been causing. When the house-elf couldn’t disobey the Black brothers’ direct orders to not harm their house-guests, he still found every other way to annoy them by either giving their guests scorching hot tea or salting their drinking water.  
  
“Kreacher was mistaken, Kreacher is very old,” was one of his excuses.  
  
“Then maybe Kreacher’s head will do better on the bloody wall!” Sirius would scream after him, and Regulus feared he sometimes meant those threats too well.  
  
In the last few weeks, Kreacher started acting even more strangely, Regulus could’ve sworn he saw the elf smile at one point. He was too gleeful for their comfort, but Regulus only assumed he must be planning one of his petty tricks. When he found him one day, after he returned early from his guard position, the elf was in the kitchen eyeing the fireplace keenly, and when he called his name Kreacher jumped and coward to the floor.  
  
“Yes, Master Regulus,” the elf answered while his features twisted as if he was in pain and in fear of what came next.  
  
So, Regulus asked, articulating every word, “What are you doing, Kreacher?”  
  
“Kreacher… was waiting, Master.”  
  
“Waiting for what?” asked Regulus as he prepared himself, he expected the worst; after all, Kreacher’s behavior was too spiteful these days, and letting Death Eaters storm into the house did not seem beyond the elf.  
  
When he struggled with his answer and started banging his head against the kitchen table, Regulus lost the patience he had and called for Sirius, who was upstairs attending to Buckbeak’s suspiciously sustained injury. They had to interrogate the elf for hours before he revealed what he has been up to with Narcissa Malfoy, née Black. Not completely surprised by the betrayal, Sirius and Regulus continued their questioning until they heard the plans that was set up for Harry which had Sirius cursing up a storm and Regulus having to hold him back from smashing Kreacher’s head straight through the table.  
  
Regulus quickly wrote to Albus, whilst Sirius sat in the kitchen waiting for Harry and writing letters to him and his friends hoping one of them will let him know about the trap. Dumbledore arrived shortly and was there in time when Harry called. After listening to what Harry saw in his vision, a stream of plans and instruction followed. Aurors and members of the Order where sent to the department of ministry to lure Voldemort into a trap of their own and expose his return to the wizarding world. He also sent Severus to aid Harry against Professor Umbridge, seeming to have finally had enough of her disruptions in his school.  
  
Harry seemed to be relieved by only the sight of Sirius at the kitchen table, and when Albus turned to address him, he had a bright smile on his face that made Regulus want to sock Albus’s nose for not talking to the boy sooner. 

______________________________

The wizarding finally caught up to the fact of the Dark Lord’s return, and the Prophet finally started reporting Death Eaters movement instead of spouting slander about Dumbledore and Harry. And with more of the Ministry’s Aurors on their side, the Order had much less missions and guard duties to worry about.  
  
In regard to Sirius Black, however, the Ministry was divided on either believing Dumbledore and pardoning the wizard or taking a harsher stance on Death Eaters and calling for another manhunt. Having very little concern for their arguments, the older Black, had already considered himself free the moment the Order took him in; but this conflict, thankfully, allowed him a little more freedom time from Dumbledore, and Regulus wasn’t biting his fingernails whenever his brother left the house, anymore.  
  
Kreacher had been sent to Hogwarts to work in the kitchens, as Dumbledore suggested, and only came back to clean up the house every few days. If any remorse was left in Regulus’s heart for the elf, it went away when he had to remind Kreacher after every visit, not reveal any of the Order’s secrets to anyone and the elf would show a sour look on his face before saying, “Of course, Master Regulus,” in the most obnoxious tone he could muster.  
  
Albus has been rather cryptic and would only consult with Severus during Order meetings. More oddly, his letters started bringing up old conversations, asking for more of Regulus’s old memories. When Regulus demanded to know what he was planning, he said he was trying to tutor Harry and prepare him. That had Regulus quite puzzled, he didn’t understand what the boy needed training for, after all, there was a whole team of experienced and trained wizards fighting by his side and involving a teenager in their fight was uncalled-for. But Dumbledore seems to have great visions for Harry and destroying the Dark Lord’s Horcruxes seemed to be his main one.  
  
Instead of Owling the memories, Regulus asked Albus to pick them up in person; after all, he had more questions. When the Headmaster arrived, Regulus was waiting for him at the kitchen table. “What are you planning for the boy?”  
  
“Nice to see you too, Regulus,” said Albus with a perky smile on his face, as he found everything all so amusing, “and I have no plans for Harry other than to see him finish his schooling at Hogwarts.”  
  
“Albus, this is not a joke,” said Regulus in the most warning voice he could muster, “and unless you want me to let Sirius know about your little privet lessons, you’ll tell me what you are planning.”  
  
Dumbledore huffed and asked, “Do you not trust me, Regulus? Do you really think I would bring harm to Harry?”  
  
“That’s not what I said!” Regulus hated how the man tried to steer the conversation his way, “I want to know what are you preparing the boy for, why does a teenager need to know so much about Horcruxes? Why are pushing him into the fight?”  
  
“It’s his fight, Regulus, did you forget?”  
  
“No, it’s NOT his!” Regulus has lost all control of his temper, “Harry Potter was not the only boy orphaned in that war! He was not the only one who was hurt by the Dark Lord, and he’s not the only one who survived it!”  
  
Albus just looked at him, apparently, he had no argument on what he just said but he still seemed unmoved.  
  
“Albus, you can’t tell me you believe some prophecy, when the Dark Lord was the one who fulfilled it out of fear and paranoia, we have to be reasonable,” said Regulus in a much calmer voice, “To defeat Voldemort we have to destroy his Horcruxes, not send out the Chosen Boy to his death.”  
  
“There is so much you don’t understand, Regulus,” said Albus with a sigh as he got up to leave, “I’m only doing what needs to be done, as it seems you’re unwilling to give me what I asked for, I’ll take my leave.”  
  
Regulus watched the older wizard walk away. It was true he didn’t know everything, Albus had made no attempt to let him know about any of his research in the last two years. Maybe he felt bitter, or maybe he didn’t trust Albus’s plans anymore, besides, the man didn’t even answer the question.

______________________________

Regulus woke-up in fright to find Sirius at his door yelling, “There is an attack at Hogwarts! I’m leaving now, and you better follow!”  
  
As he was trying to get his bearing and get out of the bed Sirius was already running down the stairs, Regulus followed him quickly trying to put on a decent cloak on the way. They got into the school through Dumbledore’s Floo, and Regulus had no choice but to run after Sirius as he rushed through the corridors until they heard sounds of dueling, then he knew they were in the right place. Hexes were flying all over and bouncing of the walls, so they joined the Order members in throwing jinxes at a very tall Death Eater who would not stop throwing curses everywhere, until Sirius’s hex hit him straight in the chest and sent him crashing to the wall.  
  
Lupin came rushing towards them, “Thank god you got the message, we really needed the back up.”  
  
“Yeah, I noticed,” said Sirius in an overly cocky voice, “Where are the rest of them, you said they was a lot of them?”  
  
“They ran up the tower, but they cursed the stairwell, none of us could pass through it,” answered Tonks, “Except Severus for some reason.”  
  
Regulus knew only one curse that would be this selective, and it’s the barrier the Dark Lord created himself to only allow his followers through, it’s how he protected himself.  
  
With little thought he ran towards the stairs mainly wanting to test his theory, and when nothing happened he rushed up the stairs to the top of the tower, despite the calls of warning behind him.  
  
He heard a blast of another door opening and he hurried his steps further to see Severus Snape standing among the Death Eaters and in front him was Albus, who stood wandless. Then he heard it, “Avada Kedavra!”  
  
He watched as Albus fell over the battlement and down the tower, and the scream that tore through him was so foreign, and he didn’t realize he was holding his wand and had sent one of the masked Death Eaters to the wall with a stunning hex; but Severus was quick to react and sent him a curse that shot a blast of pain down his spine, then he yelled something that Regulus couldn’t make out. The Death Eaters pushed past him and moved down the stairs, Regulus kept yelling and screaming and tried to follow them through the pain.  
  
Another figure ran down out of the dark from the top of the tower; it was Harry and he kept muttering under his breath, “It was Snape… He killed him… killed him.”  
  
Regulus couldn’t pay any attention to the boy, and as he went down the staircase he regained his strength, he managed to break into a run with Harry following his lead. When they reached the hallway, they found the Order members who were back in the fight and trying to hold back the Death Eaters.  
  
“He’s getting away!” Yelled Harry, pointing to the end of the hallway where Severus was walking briskly with the Malfoy boy. Now, it was Harry who was running with Regulus trailing after him trying to keep up. The boy had more guts than Regulus ever imagined, he screamed after Severus to fight back and called him a coward; when Snape turned to face Harry, Regulus was there to send curses his way before he got to the boy, but he reflected all of them and was back to hurrying away from them.  
  
It wasn’t long before the rest of the Death Eaters joined Severus, and the last thing Regulus could remember before he was stunned in the chest, was a big fire and Hagrid screaming.

______________________________

He woke up in the hospital wing, where he was two beds away from Bill Weasley who has been savaged by Fenrir Greyback, people were gathering around the young man’s bed, while Regulus pretended to be asleep, it was much easier than talking about what happened.  
  
Harry Potter on the other hand, wanted to know everything, almost like he wanted to map out the whole battle in his head.  
  
When they started questioning the cursed stairwell, Regulus heard himself answering, “It was the Dark Mark,” he said and everyone turned to look at him but his eyes were glued to his forearm where the Mark was bright and stinging, “that’s how you pass through the barrier. The Dark Lord’s finest work.”  
  
Sirius stepped towards him just to yell, “And why on earth did you run through it when you knew it was full of Death Eaters? Do you have a death wish?”  
  
“I only wanted to help,” he answered softly, so only his brother could hear him.  
  
“Idiot.”  
  
The conversation continued back to what happened in the top of the tower, and everyone started blaming themselves on how they could’ve stopped Snape, but Regulus couldn’t hear it; he was standing right behind the man, he should’ve known when he saw him standing with the Death Eaters, he should’ve have been up there earlier, he should’ve done something. Or maybe if he hadn’t quarreled with Albus, he would’ve been with him and Harry on their stupid mission.

______________________________

During the summer, Harry, his friends, and a few other members of the Order stayed at Grimmauld’s Place while the Weasleys prepared for Bill and Fleur’s wedding. A few of the members questioned the house’s safety after Dumbledore’s death, with Lupin asking, “Wouldn’t it be dangerous? since Albus is gone, anyone could be a secret keeper, including Snape!”  
  
“What makes you think Dumbledore is our secret keeper?” Sirius asked.  
  
“Because he..”  
  
“I’m Grimmauld’s Place’s secret keeper,” answered Regulus, “the paper Albus showed everyone, was my writing, not his,” the fact that Albus probably thought they would not trust Regulus, was left unmentioned.  
  
“Yeah,” continued Sirius, “and Snape can technically get inside since he has been told, but he’ll be dead before he even makes his first step into the house,” he finished with a clap and big smile on his face.  
  
Ever since that night at the tower, Harry started to look at Regulus differently, almost like he looked at Sirius or Lupin, like someone he can depend on. A few days before the wedding, he approached him and asked a few questions about Dumbledore, and Regulus could tell he was trying to tell whether or not he knew about the Horcruxes. Regulus answered him carefully as he did the same, and asked about the mission he and Albus were on that night; when Harry was reluctant in answering he guessed what they were hunting for, so he tested, “Did you find anything, then?”  
  
And after an intense look, Harry gave in, “No, we were only looking at a house where he was rumored to stay at in Albania, but there was nothing.”  
  
“Yes,” Regulus said, “I’ve already looked there, maybe I forgot to mention it to Albus.”  
  
“You were looking for Horcruxes?”  
  
“Yes, I spent a few years traveling Southeastern Europe looking for any trace of his Dark Magic to no avail,” he answered, hoping to let the boy know his over enthusiasm will get him nowhere.  
  
“It’s different with me,” said Harry in a low voice.  
  
“How is it different?” Regulus asked, curious at the boy’s tension.  
  
“Well, when Dumbledore showed me the Ring and the Locket, I could almost hear them or feel them at least,” said Harry cautiously, “Dumbledore said it’s because of my connection to Voldemort; my scar.”  
  
“I guess that could be helpful,” commented Regulus, fully intending to read about magical connections and despising Albus for not letting him know about this very important detail, “And Harry, do be careful on using his name so lightly.”

______________________________

Harry, Hermione, and Ron took off after the skirmish at the wedding, and even though Sirius knew of Harry’s plans on leaving, he never fully approved. They sometimes received cryptic letters that could only be from Harry or his friends, and Sirius would analyze and obsess over them. His only way to answer the letters was by sending an even more cryptic message through the broadcast the Weasley twin have been doing. It was the only thing that kept his brother going, otherwise Regulus thought he would run off and join the boy.  
  
Hermione showed up once to the house, and thankfully only Regulus was around to see her, with Sirius off on Order business. The girl was desperately looking for supplies, since they had run out of food days ago, and she couldn’t think of a safer place other than here. Regulus packed them a bag full of food, all the healing potions he had in his cupboard, and the few extra blankets he had.  
  
“You can’t tell anyone I was here,” Hermione said before leaving, “I didn’t even tell Harry where I was going.”  
  
“Don’t worry I won’t,” Regulus reassured her, but he couldn’t help but ask, “How is your search? Did you find anything?”  
  
Hermione had a panic look on her eyes, that worried him to no ends, “Not exactly,” she said very hesitantly, “But I’m not sure I should say… I think I should go, I really can’t stay long, Thank you Mr. Black.”  
  
With that she hurriedly left with the bag, leaving Regulus wondering if Harry really had a knack for finding the Horcruxes, as it sounded like he made more progress in a few months than Regulus had in the past fourteen years. He had to lie to Sirius, a few days later, on why they were out of potions.

______________________________

A few months later, he heard about their break-in to Gringotts, and he knew they were on to something; Sirius, however, had a fit over the news.  
  
“Why on earth would they do that?” He screamed at no one in particular, “and to make such a scene out of it, do they _have_ a death wish?”  
  
“Oh please, Sirius,” Lupin piped in, “as if you wouldn’t have jumped at the idea of escaping on the back of a dragon!”  
  
The next they heard of them was hours before midnight, Harry and his friends were at Hogwarts and they were making a final stand, that had everyone jump and ready for battle and head to Hog’s Head Inn as the message instructed. In the inn he found a man who had Albus’s eyes, it struck him for a moment of silence as he stared into it; then he turned and headed for battle.

______________________________

The battle was won; the Horcruxes were destroyed; Voldemort’s fall is for good.  
  
Their losses were too great, however, and Regulus had no heart to celebrate. After Sirius saw Lupin fall to Dolohov, he screamed murder at every Death Eater in the Great Hall and he had three at his feet before he was struck down by their degenerate cousin, Bellatrix.  
  
Regulus couldn’t remember what happened, but all of the sudden he was standing in front of Bellatrix, with Tonks by his side, her grief rivaling his own; he didn’t know who struck the final curse, but Bellatrix’s fall was all that mattered.  
  
That day, he lost all that he had left of his family.  
  
At Regulus’s invite, Harry and Hermione were staying at Grimmauld’s Place and giving the Weasleys some time to grief for their loss, while they dealt with their own. Harry shared a lot of what happened in their journey with Regulus, he even offered to share the memory of Dumbledore that Severus had left for him, but Regulus refused. He only wanted to remember Albus as he had known him; as his friend.  
  
It was time to leave it all behind him, he had nothing else left, he could rest for now. Maybe he’ll consider taking another voyage across world, England never suited him much.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- this felt much more fast pace, but there was so much to get through
> 
> \- Tonks is alive and well in this timeline
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


End file.
